High-tech Chinese cars pop up in California thanks to legal loophole, tempting drivers

Metro High-tech Chinese cars pop up in California thanks to legal loophole, tempting drivers By Daniel Farr Published April 29, 2026, 8:19 p.m. ET Just south of California, a wave of cheap, high-tech Chinese cars is inching toward the US, and a legal loophole is already letting some through. In Mexico’s border cities, dealerships are packed with sleek electric vehicles, hybrids and gas-powered SUVs priced far below anything on American lots. Some start around $20,000, a price point that no new car in the US currently hits. Washington has worked to keep them out, slapping heavy tariffs on Chinese imports and enforcing strict safety rules. Lawmakers are now pushing to go further, including banning vehicles entering through Mexico or Canada.But there’s a workaround.

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